So, I was just setting up a Google Alert for “barefoot running” this morning and found out that today was the first day of Barefoot Week (a national event started by Soles 4 Souls.
Since I was just about to head out the door in flip flops (my closest to barefoot shoes), I decided just to attach them to my bag and walk the mile to work barefoot instead. My walk is almost completely on sidewalks and just a tad over a mile up a very steep hill. I paid much more attention to where I was placing my feet during my walk and although it was sunny this morning, the 50ish degree temperature made me feet a little on the cold side (but not too bad).
The concrete was fine to walk on - it was those tiny little pebbles or gravel that caused me the most grief. They weren’t terrible for the most part, but occasionally a tiny one would get stuck to my foot and I’d have to pause to flick it off. I noticed that as I approached the end of my walk that I had already started to get more comfortable walking on the concrete (maybe it was because my feet were just getting warmer).
I decided to stop into Panera for a breakfast sandwich and some coffee and thought I’d go ahead and try out the theory that most people wouldn’t bug you for walking barefoot in public (and it’s not actually against the law). I have to admit that I felt a little awkward standing around waiting for my food without shoes on. I tried to act casual, but I think a number of people kinda raised their eyebrows (could’ve been my imagination though). In the end, no one questioned me and there was no harm done.
So anyway … if you can, try going barefoot this week and see what it feels like. It doesn’t mean you have to convert to the barefoot lifestyle, but it might change your mind about where you can and can’t go barefoot. Ironically, Soles 4 Souls established Barefoot Week to keep people from walking around barefoot.
Of course, it’s unrealistic to go year-round without shoes on, so this is still a very worthy cause. Depending on the environment they live in though, being shoeless just may not be their biggest concern.
I used to be a more common barefooter than I currently am. I agree with your sources that most places gave me no grief for being barefoot. Movie theaters, shops, groceries, churches, dances (although I didn’t try a club… and their floors are often pretty gross), homes, libraries, museums - all fine. However, the one place where I did have trouble was restaurants. There may or may not be (I was told so by a manager but never looked it up) a law that says you have to have shoes on where food is prepared, and a restaurant is close enough? I have had mixed experiences with restaurants and being barefoot.
So, according to The Society for Barefoot Living, there doesn’t appear to be any state law requiring shoes even in restaurants, but it is definitely within the individual restaurant’s right to refuse service for just about any reason.
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